Right Tool for The Right Job

 

            One of the most frustrating parts of my work as a training instructor is to measure the performance of employees on examinations.  The examinations take various forms.  For example, the group that I train must perform a certification exam periodically to maintain their qualification to perform their job.  The examination is based on training that they received when they first started in their position.  For some of these people, it has been decades since they have received their initial training.  Fortunately, there is a continuing training program that is supposed to keep their examination knowledge at a high enough level to pass the recertification exam.  Another type of exam that the group that I train must perform to maintain their qualification is what is called a practical abilities examination, or essentially a skill examination.              Regardless of the examination, there is data that is generated from everyone that participates in each examination event.  Making sense of this data is what frustrates me the most.

            Typically, I create an exam matrix using Microsoft Excel to manipulate the data.  It is not something that I particularly enjoy, and at times it can be quite cumbersome and tedious to enter the data and manipulate various formulas to get the information that I am looking for.  Fortunately, I can make this work through brute force.  In this way, analyzing examination data, for feedback into the initial and continuing training programs, is like using a stubby, oversized, flat-edge screwdriver on a smaller Phillips-head screw.  With some patience, and a few curse words, you can make it work, but you know deep down in your heart of hearts there has got to be a better way.  So, I started, in earnest, to begin to look for one.

            My journey looking for the right tool for this task began a couple of years ago.  I started with a simple google search for what I was looking for.  In my search, I found applications like Lattice, Gradebook, and PowerSchool.  All the applications that I investigated seemed to me to be more Human Resources, or school centric.  From what I could tell, these applications did not fit the bill that I needed to perform what I wanted to do with the data.   

            Before I go too much further, I think it would be prudent to let you know exactly what I am looking for.  Firstly, I want to be able to track exam performance for the group.  Next, I want to be able to track the exam performance for that iteration of the exam as there are different questions associated with each exam in a larger exam bank that they are drawn from.  Then, I want to be able to track every individual’s exam performance to see what they need help to improve their weak areas.  Also, each exam question that I write is based on a job analysis and has a specific objective that it is associated with, so I want to track the performance of the objectives.  If that were not enough, I want to track the Level 3 evaluations that are performed in the field and track their performance by objective.  If the world were my oyster, I would be able to find an application that fits all of these wants and move on with my happy life.

            Unfortunately, I was not able to find anything close to what I wanted in a training analysis software product.  So, naturally, I did what anyone would do in my situation, and I gave up; for a little while anyway.  They say necessity is the mother of invention, well I decided that I was going to create a software program of my own.  My medium of choice was Microsoft Access.  After watching some tutorials, and fumbling my way through some very basic programs, I decided that this was not the way.  If I wanted to get what I wanted out of this program, I would have to go to school to become a database engineer.  However, I am currently in school to get a degree in Workplace Training and Leadership, so my database engineer dreams will have to be put on hold until afterwards.

            If you have stuck with me for this long, I am sorry to say that this post does not have a happy ending.  I give up!!  I am going to continue to use my stubby, oversized, flat-edged screwdriver, on this tiny Phillips-head screw in absence of the right tool for the right job.  If you have any suggestions, please reply in the comments.